Department of Energy DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi signed yesterday a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2018, providing the general guidelines for the implementation of the Pantawid Pasada Program. The signing event took place earlier yesterday morning at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DOE is one of the six implementing agencies of Pantawid Pasada, which will provide fuel vouchers to qualified franchise holders of public utility jeepneys (PUJs). The Department of Transportation is the lead implementer of the program.

Under the JMC, the DOE is responsible for coordinating with oil companies to ensure their acceptance of Pantawid Pasada Cards as mode of payment. In addition, the DOE and the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) will be in charge of identifying areas with limited or no access to retail Point of Sale systems, where vouchers instead of cards will be honored.

In his message, Sec. Cusi stated that the DOE has been proactively implementing mitigating measures to help cushion the public, particularly the country's vulnerable transport sector.

"We called on our partners in the oil industry to grant fuel discounts to public utility vehicles, in addition to their CSR programs. This resulted in our MOAs with Petron, Shell and Phoenix Petroleum," he said.

He also expressed that the Energy Department will be ready to extend any assistance that may be needed by its partner agencies to successfully implement the fuel subsidy program.

The Secretary assures the public of the DOE's vigilance in finding more ways to provide targeted relief to the public transport sector.